The funny thing about this wave is I found it just after I moved up to the Twin Cities and a TRU had put them out just before the OTC wave meaning they got them or had them in storage all the way through the AotC waves!

Things were pretty much "grab it when you see it", like usual. That's something I hate about Star Wars collecting sometimes.

I have to agree. As fun as it is finding something "on th pegs", I hate that aspect of the Star Wars "hunt" as well. So many times with the line, the figures in particular, you have to buy it when you see it or you'll have to go online/trade/ebay later on. I guess its just the nature of things these days with collectors, scalpers, and kiddos all gobbling up the line. It seems like, for the most part, when I was a kid you could basically find any character you wanted at retail with the vintage line - or at least some "version" of them. Good old days, and all that .

Anyways, back on the Final 22 subject, I have to agree with what everyone else has been saying. Even though we had this supposed larger shipping time with the 30AC delay, it didn't seem to make much difference. I wouldn't say that these final figures were any more plentiful than other "last waves". I'm fortunate that I lucked upon getting at least one of each of the ones that I wanted, but I haven't seen much beyond that. Our WM hasn't had these at all yet, buried under Enboo and GB figures for a couple of months. I happened upon the WM exclusive wave at a lesser traveled store across town from us, but those were the only ones they had there as well. I've found all the Final 22 figures I've picked up at Target and TRU. I really just got lucky with the clones though. We happened to be eating breakfast out next to our local Target store right around opening, so I ran in quick and was able to pick up 2 Elite clones, and 1 Appo. I found one other Elite clone a couple of weeks ago at TRU, but other than that I've never seen either again. I wouldn't mind having a couple extras of each of those, but I'm not going to worry about it if I don't see them at retail. Like it was mentioned earlier, why they didn't save figures like these and give them a place in the regular line - and not at the tail end - I don't understand. I'd really think its hurting Hasbro too, because these two clones (Elite and Appo) would sell like hotcakes no matter how many were on the pegs. I suppose there's always a chance of repacks/resculpts or Battle Pack versions later on. Overall though, I wouldn't say that this "last wave" has done any better than previous lines - regardless of the extended time at retail they were supposed to have.

Things were pretty much "grab it when you see it", like usual. That's something I hate about Star Wars collecting sometimes.

I have to agree. As fun as it is finding something "on th pegs", I hate that aspect of the Star Wars "hunt" as well. So many times with the line, the figures in particular, you have to buy it when you see it or you'll have to go online/trade/ebay later on. I guess its just the nature of things these days with collectors, scalpers, and kiddos all gobbling up the line. It seems like, for the most part, when I was a kid you could basically find any character you wanted at retail with the vintage line - or at least some "version" of them. Good old days, and all that .

I've been doing a lot of thinking about this. What is the real cost of a figure?

How many toy runs do you have to go on for what you want?

For example, gas is terrifically expensive at the moment. On most toy runs I come up empty. To go to 2 Targets and 2 Walmarts (sometimes a TRU and KB as well) in my area I have to drive 40 miles round trip which costs $5.50 to 6.00 and 2 hours of time.

Now, if you find 1 figure you want, that figure did indeed cost you $13.00. If you find 2, it cost you $20.00. When you find none, that haul of zero figures cost you 6 bucks.

Granted, the thrill of the hunt is worth something. But when you have a 2-3 week long dry spell and come up with nothing, you may have spent $80 and tons of time and got nothing. For that same money, you could have had a case of 12 figures shipped to your door.

For 30 AC, I'm strongly considering ordering 2 cases of every wave from Entertainment Earth and just checking the Star Wars section when I happen to be out anyway.

I submit that this would save get me every 30 AC figure I want on the year for $100s of dollars cheaper. I'd have to army build certain figures through trades or eBay, which will still be cheaper than the gas guzzling retail hunt.

Also, Dressel Rebel predicts that gas will hit $4/gallon by the end of this summer in select parts of the country at least.

That's what I should have done with these last waves. I don't even want to think how much gas I've wasted searching for Appo and Elite Corps, only to finally find them this weekend at retail. That's a month and a half of wasted time and gas.

Then I found some 30AC at K-Mart, at $7 a figure, and they only had four of them. Of course, I think I had gone there every night after work since last Monday to find them.

I've been doing a lot of thinking about this. What is the real cost of a figure?

How many toy runs do you have to go on for what you want?

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Great question. I had come to terms with that one a while ago. I used to go out of my way for toy runs, but now I keep it down to on my way to work and such so I'm not using gas just to look for figures. Hasn't keep me from getting what I want yet.

That is what I'm doing this year, but I ordered from New Force Comics not EE. I've ordered 2x each 30AC case they have put up so far (wv 1 and 2).

Figures will be shipped right to my door and the cost works out to around $6.75 per figure shipped. That's less than retail with none of the wasted gas or time.

Yeah, I'll miss the hunt but with the 2 little guys at home I almost never go on the epic hunts anymore anyway. I hit the Target near my house when I go on diaper runs and that's about it.

I've started to think about doing this as well. Although I've ordered some singles/sets online before, I've never gone the case route - but I'm thinking about maybe starting later this year. With a baby due this summer, I'm not going to be able to drive off to the stores quick to check things out - and its just going to be tougher overall to "hunt". Plus, like many have mentioned, with gas prices what they are and all that - its probably cheaper in the long run to just buy online in many cases. For the most part, I just check out the Star Wars stuff when I'm already out for something else, but those little errands will be fewer this summer as well. It is a good feeling finding them at retail, but it might not be so bad to just have them delivered to the door.

Its just horrible here in So Cal. Even with 7 Targets, 2 Wal Marts, Two ToysRus, two Kaybe, One Sears Grand, 3 Krmarts in a 15 sqaure mile radius its just impossiable to find anything with my work schedule. Forget the weekends the scalpers are in full force. I dont mind people getting their fair share, but when you know people have X's of certain figures and have had them for weeks and you see them just inhaling these things it makes you ask is it worth all the crap? I have already given up trying to find the 30th Boba from wave 2 and just ordered the 1st two waves minus two figures from StarWarsShop.com came to a little over 100 for 12 figures. By time I pay for the gas and add up the time its well worth the waite. I had to order the WalMart 5 from Ebay, I knew I didnt have a shot in hell of every finding those on the pegs. I walked into a Kmart today and found wave 9, of course after going through hell to find them over the previous month..there they were..but of course they had the dam price tags on the cards ( why does Kmart do that)

Wm near me just put TONS of figures out... All TSC stuff, no TAC, but they dumped everything from Gummi Mundi to Utie Clones and Sandtroopers to Final 22 (all of them) out on the pegs. TONS. No TAC at this store for a while I wager.